More than offering you a preview of your future home, display homes exist to capture your imagination and evoke an emotional response that will make you easier to sell to.
Display homes sell lifestyles, not bricks and labour. They’re a statement saying something along the lines of “This is a stylish home, and if you lived here, you’d be stylish, too.”
Building a house is a massive life decision, so it’s critical to view the illusion of any display home you visit with a discerning eye.
In this blog, we’ll reveal some telltale signs to look out for. We’ll also discuss how a truly custom home might be a better option overall.
Illusion #1: The Perfect Layout
If you’re thinking about building a cookie-cutter house based on a display home, the first thing to pay attention to is the display home’s layout.
Mass-produced designs usually don’t factor in the shape of your block and its surrounding environment, meaning your house might not take full advantage of your space, views, and natural light.
A display home, however, is designed with the underlying block and its surroundings in mind. In other words, the builders optimise the layout to make the illusion as convincing as possible.
When visiting a display home, ask yourself how the layout would translate to your block and its environment.
For instance, would a window that frames a park across the road from the display home frame your neighbour’s wall if the house stood on your block instead?
Illusion #2: Finishes, Fixtures, and Fittings
A display home’s finishes, fixtures, and fittings are the next part of the illusion.
Those jarrah floorboards, marble sinks, or crystal chandeliers might look incredible, but they might not be included in the price of a standard build.
Often, these details are intentionally omitted from the advertised price to get you to the table.
This is all part of their sales strategy.
That’s why it’s critical to ask for a detailed breakdown of the costs associated with every finish, fixture, and fitting presented in a display home.
Illusion #3: Ideal Furnishings
Similarly, building companies that use display homes often employ interior designers to furnish their illusions as beautifully as possible.
Flattering rugs, darkly wooded bookshelves, and harmonious art pieces are just a few examples of how a building company might use decor to bolster their illusion.
Truth is, your cookie-cutter home likely won’t come with any furniture, let alone furniture selected by an expert interior designer.
It’s important to look past the furniture to make sure it’s the house, not that fancy Chesterfield by the fireplace, that you love.
Illusion #4: Immaculate Landscaping
Landscaping is another key performer in the display home illusion.
The same house without an immaculately tidy lawn or blooming rose garden, for example, would lose a significant portion of its aesthetic appeal.
Make no mistake: pot plants, gardens, and other landscaping features are there to strike an emotional chord and make you feel as though what you’re buying is a home, not just a house.
In reality, the builders are paying landscapers to meticulously maintain the property — work you’d have to do (or pay for) yourself!
See Through the Illusion: Avoid Future Disappointment
Overall, if you can’t see through the display home illusion, you could experience significant disappointment when you stand before your finished home.
To spare yourself such heartache, it’s important to pay close attention to your contract and determine exactly what’s included — from the layout and finishes to even the tiniest fixtures and fittings.
It’s also important to look beyond the cosy furniture and perfect landscaping – and separate your emotions from the equation as much as possible.
Custom Builders and Homes: The No-Illusions Approach to Homeownership
Alternatively, you can avoid display homes and mass-produced designs altogether, opting instead for a truly custom home.
Unlike volume builders with display homes, custom builders focus on tailoring every aspect of your home to fit your lifestyle, not someone else’s.
Their bespoke approach ensures you’re actually involved in the design process, making choices that suit your budget and preferences — without the pressure of upselling or hidden costs.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to choosing the right way to build your home. That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive guide for you to download.
Build With Confidence – Discover our 10 Tips for Choosing the Right Builder
It’s completely free and will help you avoid steering into the many other pitfalls that can emerge when building a home.
